Microsoft’s Bill Gates has been given an honorary
knighthood by the queen for his charity work across the
Commonwealth and his contribution to employment and technology
development in the UK.
The co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and
chief software architect at Microsoft picked up his gong from
Buckingham Palace yesterday.
The foundation has, so far, donated $4.9bn (£2.72bn) to combat
diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in Commonwealth
countries and other developing nations.
After picking up his knighthood Gates said, "One day all people
- no matter where they are born - will have the same opportunity
for a healthy life."
He said of Microsoft’s connections to the UK, "The UK was the
first country in which Microsoft set up a subsidiary outside the US
and our experience in the UK has been significant in shaping our
international growth."
Microsoft employs nearly 2,000 people in the UK.